Smith's best finish this season has been fifth place - achieved at Mugello and Catalunya - and the 24-year-old admits he may need a little help from the rain, which is predicted to fall at Silverstone, on Sunday to grab a top three finish at his home grand prix.

'It's been mentally taxing the last few weekends,' Smith told Sportsmail. 'Going into meetings and discussing what you want for the future.

'It can take a lot out of you. MotoGP is hard enough as it is without the extra pressure on a gruelling calendar. But this is my dream and this something I want to do. When you talk about these things there's a lot of emotion which is part of that.

I've worked so hard for what has been a difficult MotoGP career to get to where I am now for the last two and a half years, and I didn't want to throw that all that away, not for another manufacturer.

'It would be nice to get a podium before the end of the season but I think I have to wait for circumstances to arrive.'

Smith has been one of the star performers during the 2015 campaign, emerging as the top Brit as well as the top satellite rider as he sits in fifth place in the standings.

Smith poses with his bike on Wednesday, with his race number replaced by a message marking the Brit committing his future to the Tech 3 Yamaha team for a fourth year

Smith has been team-mates with Pol Espargaro at Tech 3 Yamaha since the start of the 2014 season

Despite Espargaro (front) beating Smith during 2014, the Brit has hit back to become the top rider at the team

But Smith expects to be overtaken in the championship by the factory Honda of Dani Pedrosa and has targeted a sixth place finish in the championship in a battle with Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso

'Each season changes, the dynamic of racing changes,' Smith added. 'You certainly have a big war with Honda vs Yamaha. Factory vs factory and both want to win MotoGP world championships. With that in mind they are moving the package away from satellite riders.

BRADLEY SMITH MOTOGP CAREER

2013: Tech 3 Yamaha - 10th (116 points)

2014: Tech 3 Yamaha - 8th (121 points)

2015: Tech 3 Yamaha - 5th (106 points)*

* Season still in progress

'No longer are the days where you roll a bike out in January and ride it until November. You roll it out in January then in April it’s a new bike, then in September there is another new bike.

'I’m riding the bike throughout the season, so in a few races time I’m riding a one-year-old bike, which doesn't sound like a lot, but one year in MotoGP is a lot and if you don’t develop you slowly slide back down the grid.

'I’d say fifth in the championship is an unrealistic goal to hold on to for the remainder of the season. Sixth position is, and I think that will be a straight fight between me and [Andrea] Dovizioso and that’s the main goal.'

Smith admits his new contract with Tech 3 doesn't offer him a clearer route towards a factory ride for Yamaha, with team-mate Pol Espargaro still the more likely of the riders to step up once Valentino Rossi or Jorge Lorenzo leave the works team.

Smith has only finished on the MotoGP podium once, finishing third behind Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi (centre right) at Phillip Island in Australia last year

Smith expects to be overtaken by Honda's Dani Pedrosa and has targeted a battle for sixth in the championship in a fight with Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso (above)

Despite having constantly got the better of his team-mate this year, which Smith puts down to many small improvements adding up, the Brit admits that Espargaro's Yamaha contract gives him the upper hand in terms of moving to the factory outfit.

'Of course I’ve wanted to talk to Yamaha about getting a factory contract, like any person would, but it’s not something in their policy.

'Pol was the exception. He was Moto2 world champion. He was the only man to beat Marquez in Moto2 on his way up and Yamaha took the gamble on him being able to be the next Marc Marquez.

'At the moment that hasn’t turned out to be the case, but they have committed to that project and will see it out to the end.

'It’s a combination of things concerning my improvement. There are so many things we can change on this motorcycle and so many things in regards to race performance. It starts with tyres, suspensions and electronics, your team personnel, your riding style, your fitness.

'That all adds up, if you improve everyone one of those you can get as much 10-12 seconds forward in the race and that’s what I’ve done. I’ve paid 100 per cent towards the detail and I’m now seeing the rewards of it.

BT Sport is the home of MotoGP in the UK with every race exclusively live throughout the season. Coverage of the 2015 Octo British Grand Prix starts on Friday at 9am on BT Sport 2 with the MotoGP race live from 12:45 on Sunday and for the first time in Ultra High Definition on BT Sport Ultra HD.

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Bradley Smith targets MotoGP podium heading into British Grand Prix at Silverstone to cap stellar year for the Brit